theatre review - FENCES - Arizona Theatre Company - February 13, 2016

David Alan Anderson, Kim Staunton, and Edgar Sanchez
Photo by Tim Fuller

Click here for more information on this production that runs through February 28th.

"August Wilson's Fences, part of his 10-play cycle on African-American life in the 20th century, won the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award that year for Best Play. It is a stellar achievement in playwriting and Arizona Theatre Company presents an equally stellar production, with an incredible cast, sublime creative elements, and spot-on direction. It is simply not to be missed....one of the best nights I've had in the theatre in a very long time. Fences is set in the late 1950s in Pittsburgh where garbage man Troy Maxson appears to finally have everything in his life in order. He has a loving, caring wife, Rose, and a steady job, plus a house that is his own. But everything isn't as solid as it seems. The impact of shattered hopes and dreams and the resentment those things can bring plus a heavy dose of betrayal are right around the corner. ..Wilson's exceptional, evocative, and thought-provoking drama. ..Wilson created characters and situations that anyone who has ever experienced some form of dysfunctional family dynamics can identify with, regardless of race. ...The ATC cast couldn't be better. As Troy, David Alan Anderson is giving a fearless, fearsome, and powerful portrayal, with as many nuances as the character has. ..Kim Staunton's Rose is steadfast and warm. ..superb portrayal of a woman with a fierce sense of herself and sheer will and determination. ...James T. Alfred is Lyons, Troy's eldest son from his first marriage, and Edgar Sanchez is Cory. Both have a natural style in their line delivery and in ensuring that the changes their characters go through as the events of the play unfold are realistic...Terry Bellamy is exceptional as Troy's brother Gabriel, who suffered a brain injury in World War II and actually believes that he's the Angel Gabriel. Gabriel is the heart of the play and Bellamy's portrayal is heartbreaking, with his final scene a moment of pure beauty...Director Lou Bellamy does an exceptional job in ensuring the pressures and problems that the characters face are portrayed realistically. ..The creative elements are extraordinary, with Vicki Smith's set design realistically portraying the back porch and entire two-story facade of Troy and Rose's house...With an anti-hero at its center, the beauty of Fences, and this production, is that it never attempts to make you truly like the character of Troy. Yet, even though the main character is ultimately unlikable, Wilson's play shows how compassion, acceptance, forgiveness, the realization of lost hopes and dreams, and the loving bond of family can ultimately become a celebration of life. This production of this American classic is captivating, engaging and first rate."  -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)